This invention concerns the manufacture of a laminated panel, such as a plywood panel, having multiple layers of veneer pieces which are bonded together in the manufacturing process to produce the final panel. The method contemplated, as distinguished from conventional plywood manufacture procedures, utilizes veneer pieces having a standard and essentially uniform length and width, and where the width of the veneer pieces, i.e., the dimension in a transverse cross-grain direction, is a whole number divisor of the length of the veneer pieces. In the making of panels from stacked layers, the veneer pieces are laid up in such a manner that the layer of veneer pieces in one layer (where the grain of the pieces extends across the grain of veneer pieces in another layer), may have a dimension extending across the layer which is equal to the length of the veneer pieces in the other layer. Following the invention, trim loss in the producing of a standard 4.times.8' panel is substantially less than following conventional procedures. Furthermore, since all the veneer pieces have a uniform and standard size, substantial economies may be realized in the handling of the veneer pieces, i.e., in their clipping, sorting, drying, storing, laying up, etc.
In manufacturing plywood following conventional procedures of today, and in the making of a standard 4.times.8' panel, veneer pieces are employed in making the faces, backs and other plies where the grain extends the length of the panel which are of random width and have a length of approximately 102". Veneer pieces are employed in making the remaining plies where the grain extends across the grain of the face and backs having a random width and a length of one-half of 102" or approximately 51". After pressing to consolidate the layers, the panels are trimmed to 4.times.8' dimension. The excess material which is trimmed off has generally been felt necessary because of the random widths of the sheets which are used, and consequent difficulties, for instance, in building a complete layer up to the exact margins desired in the forming panel. The different widths and lengths of the sheets utilized makes any automated or semiautomated procedure for cutting the veneers difficult, if not impossible, and introduces problems in sorting, maintaining inventory, veneer sheet handling, efficient use of equipment such as driers, etc.
In contradistinction to what has just been described, the method of the invention utilizes veneer pieces of a common and uniform size, where the width of the veneer pieces is a whole number divisor of the length. Such may be utilized in the laying up of a stack of the veneer pieces to produce a panel which is square in outline, and where the number of pieces disposed side-by-side in a ply or layer is the same as the whole number divisor used in dictating the width of the veneer pieces. A panel of this description, and assuming for explanation purposes the use of veneer pieces having 100" length and 20" width (the whole number divisor here being 5), may be produced which has a 100.times.100" dimension, with five veneer pieces disposed side-by-side in each layer or ply. With minimal trimming, and bisecting of the panel into two pieces, two 4.times.8' panels result, with far less trim waste than when using conventional practices.
A general object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved and new method of manufacturing laminated products from veneer pieces which utilizes veneer pieces of uniform and standardized width and length.
Another object is to provide a method wherein standard 4.times.8' panels, or panels of other dimensions, may be prepared with substantial reduction of trim waste as results from currently known manufacturing methods.
A corollary to the above is the provision of a method for manufacturing laminated panels which relies on the use of veneer pieces having uniform width and length dimensions, and which, as a result, lends itself to automated procedures, and also results in reduced handling, storage, and inventory costs, and promotes better and more efficient use of capital equipment, such as driers, etc.